At the beginning of the month, the Reds called up phenom prospect Yonder Alonso to help provide some power off the bench.
Alonso is one of the more ballyhooed prospects to come up through the Reds’ farm system in recent memory, and the 7th overall pick from 2008 put together a productive year in Louisville this year (.296 with 12 homers and 56 RBIs in 101 games).
He is one of the biggest names in a resurgent Reds farm system. Obviously, you have a guy like Joey Votto who has set the world on fire, but even just this year, guys like Mike Leake and Travis Wood have made major contributions, Chris Heisey has been a steady player, and Aroldis Chapman has brought a great deal of excitement to Cincinnati.
Unlike those guys, however, Alonso may have no future in Cincinnati.
It’s really pretty simple. Alonso plays first base, but so does Votto.
By all accounts, Alonso, for all his power, isn’t know for his athleticism. He did spend the spring working out at third base and catcher, but moving to another position seem to be a bit of a dicey proposition.
Earlier in the year, some were maybe suggesting that Votto could eventually move to left field, which would then clear the path for Alonso, but why should Votto do that? He’s been a fine defensive first baseman.
It’s a nice problem to have, as the Reds have a potential trading chip on their hands, one that could land some nice players in return.
He could be a designated hitter in the American League, or fit the bill for someone looking for a young, power hitting first baseman.
From a logistical point of view, Alonso will be out of options following the 2011 season.
It will be interesting to see what happens with this going forward, as the future for multiple franchise could greatly be altered.
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